My Year Without Sex

The haphazard nature of life is at the heart of filmmaker Sarah Watt's touching and insightful dramedy, in which a medical emergency upends a suburban Australian family. Everything seems to be going fine for Ross (Matt Day), a Melbourne audio technician, and his wife, Natalie (Sacha Horler), who works in a retirement home, until Natalie suffers a brain aneurysm. Her recovery is slow, and Ross understandably worries about their future—including the effect on their two children, 12-year-old Louis (Jonathan Segat) and 8-year-old Ruby (Portia Bradley). The fact that Natalie's doctors advise her to avoid having sex for an entire year is just one of the challenges the couple have to deal with as myriad problems—kids' injuries, appliance breakdowns, mounting stacks of bills—test their relationship in various ways. Against this backdrop, the film raises deeper questions of faith, as Natalie befriends pop-star-turned-Anglican-priest Margaret (Maude Davey), while struggling with understandable fears about her future. Despite the serious subject matter, Watt manages to inject wonderful moments of humor throughout (as when Ruby asks if she can take Natalie, bruised and sporting a shaven head, to Show and Tell at school). A fine tale of life's ups and downs—featuring a terrific cast—this is highly recommended. (K. Fennessy)